This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance (and for this we labor and strive) that we have put our hope in the living God who is the Savior of all, and especially of those who believe.
1 Timothy 3:9-10

Monday, June 30, 2014

A recent Barna study owned me. The survey revealed that
51 percent of North American Christians polled possess attitudes and actions
that are more like the Pharisees than they are like Christ. In other words, the attitudes of most Christians were
described as self-righteous and hypocritical. According to the study, only 14 percent of Christians
surveyed reflected attitudes and actions that better resembled the attitudes
and actions of Christ.

What surprised me (as well as study author David
Kinnaman) is how my attitudes and actions still need work ... I’m far too much
like a Pharisee and not enough like Jesus. I was so bothered by it, I taught an
entire series about it. And you can watch a conversation David Kinnaman and I
had about the research here.

And what breaks my heart is that I think the Pharisee in
many of us is killing the mission and effectiveness of the church.

So how do you know how much Pharisee resides within you?

In defense of the Pharisees (well, almost defense).

Before we jump to that, I understand that in many church
circles to simply say the word "Pharisee" is to immediately conjure up
an image of a villain.

Pharisee = bad.

And yet the Pharisees were to some extent well-meaning
people. They studied the law and knew it as well as anyone. Their downfall,
among other things, centered on their self-justification and self-importance.

But there’s evidence that some Pharisees were sincerely
seeking God. After all, Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, both Pharisees,
arranged for Jesus’ burial. They were sympathetic to Christ and, from what we
can tell, ultimately ended up following him. Similarly, the mission of the early church was radically
advanced by a converted Pharisee—Paul.

And yet, Jesus condemned the Pharisees for their pride,
lack of compassion and hypocrisy.

The irony, of course, is this: The people who purported
to love God most ultimately killed him when he showed up.

This isn't about Jews and Gentiles. It’s about religious
people (like you and me) who in the name of God deny who God really is.

Denying God is exactly what we do when our attitudes
justify ourselves more than they reflect the heart and love of Christ.

The attitude of many Christians today is more like the Pharisees than it is like Jesus.

10
things Pharisees today say.

So what do today’s Pharisees say?

Based in part on the research and in part on my own
experience, here are the top 10 things today’s Pharisees say.

A
word of caution: As you read them, don’t think about who
these phrases remind you of nearly as much as you think about how they reflect
your attitude and actions.

If we all do that, we will all be better off and the church
will be stronger for it:

1. “If
he knew the Bible as well as I did, his life would be better.”

Yup, there it is. Judgment and self-righteousness rolled
up into a neat little package. I really, really, want people to read their
Bibles. But when I get smug and superior about reading mine, I miss the point.

2. “I
follow the rules.” And if you do,
awesome.

But that’s not what got you into Christianity, is it? You
got in because of the mercy of Christ extended to you when you broke the rules.

Following the rules doesn't keep you in the love of God
any more than it got you into the love of God.

So why follow the rules? Following the rules is a
response to the love of God.

And your attitude should be one of gratitude, amazement
and humility.

3.
“You shouldn't hang around people like that.”

I get that we have to choose friends for our kids
carefully.

But when applied to adults, this mostly stinks.

One of the reasons many churches aren’t growing is
because Christians don’t know any non-Christians.

If many of us were preaching the parable about being the
salt of the earth today, we’d switch it up and command the salt to stay in its
hermetically sealed box and never touch any food.

Of course, Jesus said the opposite. Salt needs to get out
of the box to season food.

And Jesus paid a price for that among religious people.
They couldn’t fathom why he would hang out with tax collectors, hookers and
other notorious sinners.

When was the last time you hung out with a hooker?

Convicting, isn’t it? Disturbing, isn’t it?

Yes it is.

4.
“God listens to my prayers.”

Prayer is amazing. And we do trust that God listens to
our prayers.

But, as we’ve said before in this space, prayer is not a
button to be pushed nearly as much as it is a relationship to be pursued.

The smugness and certainty with which many Christians
talk about prayer must strike people as weird, weird, weird.

The biblical portrait of prayer is as much about broken
people embracing the mystery and majesty of a forgiving God as much as it is
about anything.

When prayer becomes a predictable formula that
manipulates or controls God, you can be pretty sure you’re no longer praying.

5.
“Sure I have a few issues, but that’s between me and God.”

And if you keep it between you and God, people will never
be able to relate to you.

Perfect on the outside and flawed on the inside—that’s
the accusation Jesus levied against the Pharisees.

When people on the outside look at pretend-to-be-perfect
Christians, it does three things:

·It alienates them.

·It makes them think you’re fake … because
even they know we’re all broken.

·It suggests God can’t help them.

The antidotes:
Transparency; Vulnerability; Honesty.

When you let people know you don’t have it all together
but you’ve met an amazing God, many people suddenly want to join in.

6. “They
just need to work harder.”

Jesus loved the poor and had compassion on broken people.

Many Christians today don’t. (Self-righteousness rears
its ugly head again.)

Yes, I am very familiar with the passages in scripture
that talk about hard work and prudence. I try to live by them.

But when I allow my relative ‘success’ to serve as a
basis to judge others … I miss mercy.

Compassion should be a hallmark of Christians. The early
church’s compassion in the first few centuries after Jesus' resurrection was
one of the key reasons the Christian faith spread so rapidly, even a midst extreme persecution.

7. “Of
course I’m a Christian.”

Few people are better at explaining the difference
between moralistic self-righteous religion and authentic Christianity these
days than Tim Keller.

Keller points out again and again in his preaching that
religious people say things like, “Of course I’m a Christian” … and that
underneath is a pernicious idea that they have somehow earned the favor of God
by their obedience and faithfulness.

True Christians, he says, by contrast are filled with
wonder, amazement and gratitude that God would accept them despite their
brokenness? When asked whether they are Christian, they say things like:

"I know, isn’t that unbelievable?

Can you believe that God would extend his mercy to someone
like me through Christ?

I am amazed!

Grateful; Overwhelmed!” I love Keller’s heart on this.

8.
“More people need to stand up for Christian values.”

As Christendom slips away in our lifetime here in the West,
we long for what used to be.

But moving forward, we will have more in common with our
first-century counterparts in Christianity than with our 20th-century
forebears. They lived out their faith in a world that didn’t share their
values, but rather than fight their non-Christian counterparts, they laid down
their lives for them.

While some people might get very angry and demand that we
stand up for Christian values, I think the biblical argument runs the other
way.

As I outline here, maybe one of the best things
Christians today can do is let non-Christians off the moral hook.

Christians should live out Christian values deeply and
authentically. But why would we hold non-Christians to a standard they don’t
believe in anyway?

Jesus and Paul never appeared to do this … not even once.

9.
“I’m simply more comfortable with people from my church than I am with people
who don’t go to church.”

Which is one major reason why you and your church are
incredibly ineffective at reaching unchurched people.

If you want to change that, go to some parties and get to
know some people who are far from God.

You will discover that God likes them. And you might
discover that you do too. And people who didn’t used to follow Jesus might even
start following Jesus.

10.
“People who don’t go to church can come if they want to.”

And Nero fiddled while Rome burned.

Too many churches are all about the preferences of their
members than the push of the Gospel.

Here are some suggestions on what you can do if you serve
in a church where people don’t want your church to change.

Again, please hear me; this is as much a challenge to me
as it is to anyone else. There is a Pharisee that lives in me.

Can
you imagine what would happen if Christians today exuded the love, truth, grace
and mercy of Christ?

ØI
think the church would be different.

ØWhat
attitudes do you need to check in yourself?

ØWhat
other things have you heard that are impeding the mission of the church?

Leave
a comment!

In addition to serving
as Lead Pastor at Connexus Community Church north of Toronto Canada, Carey
Nieuwhof speaks at conferences and churches throughout North America on
leadership, family, parenting and personal renewal.

Sunday, June 29, 2014

We often think
of Paul as a giant of the faith – someone without whom Christianity as we know
it would be radically different. But we forget that before Paul could go on his
missionary journeys and write his letters, he needed someone to show him what
it meant to follow Christ. For Paul, that man was Ananias. Ananias took Paul in
and sheltered him. Who was your Ananias? Are you being an Ananias to anyone
else?

In the closing
message of this teaching series, I want to share with you three ways to help others
experience a new normal!

Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out
murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and
asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any
there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners
to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from
heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him,
“Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am
Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city,
and you will be told what you must do.” The men traveling with Saul stood there
speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. Saul got up from the
ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by
the hand into Damascus. For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink
anything. Acts 9:1-9

What I know about helping others experience a
New Normal:

1. God is able to use anyone who is willing
to respond

“ YES
LORD! ”

In Damascus there was a disciple named
Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord,” he
answered. Acts 9:10

2. God is going to ask us to do things that DON’T
MAKE SENSE

The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas
on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying.
In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to
restore his sight.” “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this
man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. And he has
come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your
name.” But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to
proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I
will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” Acts 9:11-15

3. When we are willing to respond “Yes Lord”
to things that don’t make sense,

LIVES
CHANGE!

Then Ananias went to the house and entered
it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were
coming here —has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Immediately, something like
scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was
baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength. Acts 9:17-18

At once he began to preach in the synagogues
that Jesus is the Son of God. Acts 9:20

Saturday, June 28, 2014

I am very excited about our time tomorrow at North Raleigh Church of the Nazarene! I plan to conclude the teaching series: The NEW NORMAL with a message about a changed life and how we can be used by God to share the NEW NORMAL with others. We often think
of Paul as a giant of the faith – someone without whom Christianity as we know
it would be radically different. But we forget that before Paul could go on his
missionary journeys and write his letters, he needed someone to show him what
it meant to follow Christ. For Paul, that man was Ananias. Ananias took Paul in
and sheltered him. Who was your Ananias? Are you being an Ananias to anyone
else?

We will use this passage of Scripture for our study today:

Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out
murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and
asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any
there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as
prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light
from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to
him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I
am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the
city, and you will be told what you must do.” The men traveling with Saul stood
there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. Saul got up from
the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him
by the hand into Damascus. For three days he was blind, and did not eat or
drink anything. Acts
9:1-9Our plan is to give a great welcome and a call to worship, then we will stand and enter into a time of praise and worship in song. Here is the current worship set we have planned:

Over the recent months we have seen the faithfulness of out God in answering prayer and bringing forth miracles in our presence. God is at work in our church! Let us open our hearts before God and prepare for an out pouring of the Spirit of God upon us!Now is the time for announcements about times we can gather for fellowship and support and also times of service and giving to others. As we give our offering to the Lord let us do so by purposing in our hearts to give unto God what He is speaking to us about!He is the offering of praise in music as we give our financial gifts:

Thursday, June 26, 2014

As reported byUSA Todayand
others, the largest
Presbyterian denomination in the U.S. made history last week by voting to
affirm same-sex marriage in their constitution as well as allow pastors to
perform same-sex marriages.

The general assembly of the Presbyterian Church
U.S.A, a mainline Protestant group with 1.8 million members, voted by 76
percent to allow clergy to perform gay marriages where they are legal. This
makes PCUSA one of the largest Christian denominations to take these major
steps toward embracing same-sex marriage.

The change in the constitution
will become church law if a majority of the 172 local presbyteries approve
it. Conservative PCUSA denominational leaders are concerned that approving
same-sex marriage will contribute to the decline of the Presbyterian Church,
which has experienced a 37 percent decrease in membership since 1992. Others
said the decision could affect the perception of Presbyterian missionaries
serving overseas in more conservative countries. But experts are saying that,
because the denomination is historically influential, its actions could
persuade other Christian groups to follow suit.

Almost half of the clergy in
the PCUSA serve in areas where same-sex couples can legally marry.
Since 2011 when the denomination began removing barriers for the
ordination of gay pastors, 428 of its more than 10,000 churches have either
dissolved or left for more conservative denominations.

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

As we prepare for our time of prayer this evening at 6:30 in room 133 at North Raleigh Church of the Nazarene, we do not gather to discuss the days events or our views of what is happening in our nation and our world. Instead we gather to draw near to God and to hear His voice.

What is prayer? Consider this as we prepare our hearts for prayer this evening:

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is
good. And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God”(Micah 6:8, NIV).

We are often reminded
that our daily walk with the Lord requires that we allow God to create in us a
humble heart, a humble attitude, and a humble character. The more we deal with
the question of humility, however, the harder it is for us to reconcile this
quality with contemporary expectations of leadership, even in our service to
the Church. One of the problems is that the world commonly places these two
traits as mutually exclusive parts of the paradoxical question, “Can leaders
lead while humbly embracing humility?”

I was intrigued about
the question, particularly when I came across Numbers 12:3: “Now, Moses was a
very humble man, more humble than anyone on the face of the earth.” While this
was written by Moses (interesting, isn’t it?), I appreciate the fact that it is
presented almost as a parenthetical statement forced upon the writer to make a
point. It is almost as though Moses was unwillingly required to speak of
himself as a humble man, the most humble man on the planet. This, for me,
presents an interesting paradox about humility and leadership: we must
acknowledge that God is developing in us a humble character, even when it is
hard for us to publicly admit to it under the disguise of modesty.

A quick read of this
passage may give us the wrong impression that Moses was bragging about himself
being the most humble man on earth. Is it possible? I understood this paradox
on one occasion when I was speaking in India. I was preaching in English, and
one of the most humble leaders I have met in the church was translating for me
into the local language. To review this paradox, I said to the congregation, “I
am blessed to have this brother, one of the best translators and the most
humble man in India, translating for me.” He was embarrassed, and he said
something else. I could tell that he had done this because some of his peers
started laughing. I repeated the sentence, and he repeated what he had said
before until I pushed him and asked him to translate literally what I had said.
His peers told me that he had first translated my sentence as “Dr. Crocker says
…” This is equivalent to the nearly parenthetical introduction that Moses made
of himself. He humbly and carefully (not boastfully) embraced the fact that, in
God, he was a humble man.

Now, how do we know
that a leader has humbly and practically embraced humility? In the introductory
part of Numbers 12, we see the way Moses was criticized, mocked, and challenged
by his own people (his brother and his sister), and yet he chose to not defend
himself, to not retaliate, to not make a case for himself. Instead, he left it
in God’s hands to defend him. He acted as a servant leader who did not seek
self-vindication. True humility was evident in his desire to not think about
himself first (even in the privacy of his own heart). In other words, Moses’
attitude proved that “humility is not about thinking less of ourselves; it is
about thinking about ourselves less” (C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity).

Monday, June 23, 2014

The simple implementation of the Monday rule can
significantly change the climate of your church for the better.

New Vintage Church has worked, unofficially, at creating
a “Monday Rule” culture. We've never stated it officially, but is understood by
most of our people nonetheless because we have encouraged it from our
beginning. Staff abides by it, as well. It has never been stated
explicitly, but we do coach it as we can.

It’s
the Monday rule, which might be stated this way:

“If
you have concerns or the feel the need to complain, do it Monday (or another
day of your choice). Please don’t do it Sunday—or when the church is gathered
for worship.”

To clarify, we aren’t saying people should never complain
or voice concerns.

We are saying there is a time and place for it—and that’s
not Sunday mornings during or around the time the church is gathered for
worship. What we are doing when the church gathers is cherished by God and
important for the building up of the Body and calling our church to mission.
Every Sunday, we have guests come searching for God, not a solution to the
complaints of Sister Sue or Brother Bill.

The Body needs strengthening and encouragement. She needs
her mission clarified and her calling reinvigorated. She needs to hear from
God. That’s what the weekends are for.

One of the greatest services leadership can provide the
church is the effective handling of the church’s concerns, which includes the
timing of such dealings—not just making sure they are heard.

Implementing the Monday rule will do more for your
church’s weekend assemblies than nearly anything. It keeps the air fresh. It
honors God over our temporary concerns.

A couple of assumptions can be made reasonably about
people who complain chronically on Sundays.

First, they lack a sense of the impact of their comments
on others—especially staff or those whose spiritual frame of heart impacts
others that day.

Second, they lack spiritual focus during times that are
unique in the practice of the church—and their complaining will spread this across
the Body if not checked.

Third, they likely do this because of proximity. They
want to get it dealt with right then—because it could consume their time and
energy to do it another time. So, they’d prefer to use yours on their terms
rather than deal with the problem another way.

Implementing the Monday rule shepherds a person on all
three fronts, and accomplishes the following as well:

1.
It keeps God at the center.

It is easy to allow a “concern” to become the predominant
factor of the morning in your heart, or the heart of the person you jabbed with
it.

All days are God’s days … but Sundays are special. It’s
when His people gather together for a unique time of honoring him. If the music is too loud for you, that’s not the most
important thing going on that morning. If you think the youth minister shouldn't wear shorts to church, it can wait until Monday.

Don’t let that consume your mind or that of others for
the morning. Keep God at the center. That’s why we are all here.

2.
It protects the church’s worship experience.

Our sacrifice of praise, if it is to be pleasing to God,
must rise before Him in unity and love. We must cherish not only our time
together, but the gift of joy, peace and love it brings with it.

I’m not suggesting people who complain are intentionally
trying to hurt the unity of the church. I’m saying I don’t bring up our income
taxes or any issues I have with my wife on date night.

There is a time for everything. If you have concerns, Sunday
morning at 10 a.m. right as church is starting ain't it.

3.
It protects first-time or short-time guests.

It protects them from overhearing complaints or breathing
in the foul air of dissension on a morning when unity, love and passion for God
should be most evident.

Some time ago, I had to remove a pair of greeters (the
kind that hand you a bulletin and say “Hi” as you arrive) before church because
they were griping loudly about a perceived lack of cleanliness of the facility
as people arrived for worship.

People arriving actually had to walk between them to get
on site. They were loud and not ignorable to everyone arriving. I warned them
kindly but firmly. They wouldn't stop.

So, we replaced them. They later apologized and both went
on to become excellent greeters.

4.
It preserves the staff’s focus and frame of heart for the morning.

When the preacher, worship leader, elder, or whomever is
pulled off-focus or newly discouraged from a complaint session (whether gentle
or coarse), the impact will be felt. You would be amazed at the things people
say to preachers right before they preach, worship leaders right before the
first strum or hum.

If you have a complaint, you should know that you are
highly unlikely to get a good hearing for your complaint on Sunday anyway. It
would be much, much better to wait until people aren’t rushing around and can
actually listen.

5.
It vets complaints and thus helps people control their emotions and tongues.

Some people feel as though it is a virtue to say what’s
on their mind—right then. It’s really not. Saying what’s on your mind is a
virtue when you really need to do it. But, that’s not usually Sundays. If you
are still mad about it on Monday, reach out. That will let you know whether or
not it really bothers you and will respect the church’s gatherings. Don’t take
hostages on Sunday morning. No drive-by or hit-and-run verbal attacks that
discourage others. Half of complaints would never be uttered if people weren't able to do it Sundays.

Imagine what Sundays could be like if the church, from
leaders to guests, could punt concerns until Monday—focusing instead on
encouragement and welcoming the outsider. What a difference that might make in
our weekend gatherings.

Concerns
aren’t unimportant. Sometimes, they just aren’t that important.

Dr. Tim Spivey is Lead Planter of New Vintage Church in
San Diego, California--a fast-growing plant launched in 2011. Tim is also the
purveyor of New Vintage Leadership - a blog offering cutting edge insights on
leadership and theology and the author of numerous articles and one book:
Jesus, the Powerful Servant.

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Paul
begins his letter with pleasantries and immediately clarifies his purpose for
writing:

I am astonished that you are so quickly
deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are following a
different gospel— not that there really is another
gospel, but there are some who are disturbing you and wanting to distort the
gospel of Christ. But even if we (or an angel from heaven) should preach a
gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be condemned to
hell! As we have said before, and now I say again, if any
one is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let him be
condemned to hell! Am I now trying to gain the approval of people, or of
God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ.Galatians
1:6-10

I said in the
first message of this series: If we aren’t careful, the gospel can stop being GOOD
NEWSWhat
is the Gospel – the Good News?

Now let me remind
you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good NewsI preached to you before. You welcomed it
then and still do now, for your faith is built on this wonderful message. And
it is this Good News that saves you if you firmly believe it, unless, of
course, you believed something that was never true in the first place. I passed
on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me – that
Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he
was raised from the dead on the third day, as the Scriptures said. 1
Corinthians 15:1-4 (NLT)

Now
Paul is concluding this letter and brings us back to the main point:

Notice
what large letters I use as I write these closing words in my own handwriting.
Those who are trying to force you to be circumcised are doing it for just one
reason. They don't want to be persecuted for teaching that the cross of Christ
alone can save. And even those who advocate circumcision don't really keep the
whole law. They only want you to be circumcised so they can brag about it and
claim you as their disciples. As for me, God forbid that I should boast about
anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my
interest in this world died long ago, and the world's interest in me is also
long dead. It doesn't make any difference now whether we have been circumcised
or not. What counts is whether we really have been changed into new and different
people. May God's mercy and peace be upon all those who live by this principle.
They are the new people of God. From now on, don't let anyone trouble me with
these things. For I bear on my body the scars that show I belong to Jesus.My dear brothers and sisters, may the grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen Galatians
6:11-18 (NLT)

How to Spot a False Teacher

1. They are hung up on OUTWARD APPEARANCE

Those who want to make a good impression
outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised...Galatians
6:12a (NIV)

If you love me, keep my commandments.John 14:15 (NLT)

2. They RUN when things get HOT

... The only reason they do this is to avoid
being persecuted for the cross of Christ.Galatians
6:12b (NIV)

3. They ask you to DO THINGS that they
DON’T DO

And even those who advocate circumcision
don't really keep the whole law...Galatians
6:13a (NLT)

Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of
God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their
faith.Hebrews 13:7 (NIV)

4. They tend to be ARROGANT

...They only want you to be circumcised so
they can brag about it and claim you as their disciples. Galatians
6:13b (NLT)

As for me, God forbid that I should boast
about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross,
my interest in this world died long ago, and the world's interest in me is also
long dead.Galatians
6:14 (NLT)

Every good and perfect gift is from above,
coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like
shifting shadows.James
1:17 (NIV)

The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual
immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord,
jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy;
drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who
live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit
is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness
and self-control.Galatians
5:19-23 (NIV)

Many times legalism causes bondage in our life and we cannot handle it. Here is an example:

I did not show this clip today die that it is so long - but it clearly brings forth the point that legalism holds us back spiritually - but Paul makes it abundantly clear what is most important:

It doesn't make any difference now whether we
have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been changed into
new and different people. Galatians
6:15 (NLT)

My dear brothers and sisters, may the grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.Galatians
6:18 (NLT)

For it is by grace you have been saved,
through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God… Ephesians
2:8 (NIV)

But whatever I am now, it is all because God
poured out his special favor on me - and not without results. For I have worked
harder than all the other apostles, yet it was not I but God who was working
through me by his grace. 1
Corinthians 15:10 (NLT)

Rick and Sharron Hudgens

About Me

I am privileged to be a servant of the Lord God Almighty on High. God has blessed me with a beautiful wife, Sharron, two twin daughters, Danielle and Stephanie, a great son-in-law, Josh (married to Stephanie), and my first granddaughter, Alyse Nicole. In October 2009 Danielle married Jessie Bolder and we welcome Jessie and our new grand daughter Jayden into our family. On April 16, 2010 Danielle gave birth to Jordan Richard Bolder - our first grand son. A few weeks later on May 7th Stephanie gave birth to Breeley May. The latest update is the our daughter Stephanie gave birth to Cammie Lynley on July 12, 2013. Sharron and I are blessed people.